Richard on Nostr: Meme translation: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram ...

Meme translation:

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) are two core protocols of the Internet Protocol (IP) suite. Here’s a comparison of their key differences:

1. Connection Type
• TCP: Connection-oriented. Establishes a connection before data transmission using a three-way handshake.
• UDP: Connectionless. Sends data without establishing a dedicated connection.

2. Reliability
• TCP: Reliable. Ensures data arrives in order and without errors using acknowledgments, retransmissions, and flow control.
• UDP: Unreliable. No error correction or retransmission; data may be lost or arrive out of order.

3. Speed
• TCP: Slower due to connection setup, error checking, and retransmission.
• UDP: Faster because it sends data without waiting for acknowledgments or retransmissions.

4. Data Transmission Method
• TCP: Stream-oriented. Data is sent as a continuous stream.
• UDP: Message-oriented. Data is sent in discrete packets (datagrams).

5. Use Cases
• TCP: Best for applications requiring reliable data delivery, such as:
• Web browsing (HTTP, HTTPS)
• Email (SMTP, IMAP, POP3)
• File transfers (FTP)
• UDP: Best for real-time applications where speed matters more than reliability, such as:
• Online gaming
• Video streaming (e.g., YouTube, VoIP, live broadcasts)
• DNS (Domain Name System) queries

6. Flow Control and Congestion Control
• TCP: Uses flow control (e.g., sliding window) and congestion control mechanisms to manage network traffic.
• UDP: No flow control or congestion control, making it lightweight but more prone to packet loss.

7. Packet Overhead
• TCP: Larger header size (typically 20 bytes) due to extra fields for error checking and control.
• UDP: Smaller header size (8 bytes), reducing overhead.

In short, use TCP when reliability matters and use UDP when speed is the priority.

…You’re welcome.